1. Field of the Invention
Applicant's invention relates to methods and devices to prevent bed soiling. More specifically, Applicant's invention is a waterproof device removably attached to a bed to block body fluid and prevent the fluid from reaching the lower bed sheet and the mattress.
2. Background Information
It is well known certain types of stains, such as blood or urine stains, are difficult to remove. The cleaning job becomes even more difficult if the stained article is large and heavy, such as a mattress. However, bed sheets and mattresses often do become stained if the person resting on the bed is incontinent; if a child sleeping on the bed is prone to bed wetting; or, if the person is a woman, the person is menstruating. Yet it is impractical and too expensive to simply throw away a stained mattress. Further, it is also not economically practical to throw away a set of bed sheets or mattress pad covers every time they become stained.
Since it is impossible or impractical to remove stains by throwing away the bed sheets, the mattress, or the mattress pad cover, an alternate solution is to prevent the lower bed sheet or mattress from becoming stained in the first place. For example, hospitals generally prevent body fluid from reaching the mattress by simply enclosing the entire mattress in a plastic cover and foregoing the mattress pad cover. However, this plastic cover makes the bed extremely hot and uncomfortable to lie on. Further, while plastic covers may prevent mattresses from becoming stained, they do not prevent bed sheets from being stained. Therefore, while hospitals no longer have to replace stained mattresses, they often do have to replace stained sheets. Finally, the plastic covers make it very difficult for the bed sheets to stay securely tucked underneath the mattress. Thus, in addition to being hot and uncomfortable, a hospital patient often has to lie in a bed where the bed sheet covers only half the bed.
Of course, bed sheet and mattress staining do not only occur in hospitals. Children wet beds, people experience incontinence, and women menstruate--all of which may stain bed sheets and mattresses--outside of hospitals. A common way to prevent bed sheet and mattress staining at home is to simply place additional bedding material on the bed, in areas where staining is likely to occur. However, because this bedding material is not secured into place, it tends to bunch up as a person tosses and turns in his or her sleep. Further, bulky bedding material placed on top of bed sheets is uncomfortable. Thus, a person who is incontinent or is menstruating must either risk staining an expensive mattress or expensive bed sheets or endure a relatively thick layer of uncomfortable, additional bedding material in areas where staining is likely to occur.